Baltimore Inspector General David N. McClintock, who earned a reputation for thorough investigations and independence, is leaving city government, the mayor's office said Thursday.
McClintock is leaving Baltimore for Jefferson Parish, La., where he will take on "a new opportunity," the mayor's office said. McClintock will become that jurisdiction's chief internal investigator.
"David McClintock has done a very good job improving the Office of the Inspector General since his arrival in 2010, turning a dysfunctional office into a real asset for city government to use to investigate potential fraud, waste, and abuse," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement.
During three years in City Hall, McClintock investigated city workers stealing scrap metal, drivers overspending on gas cards, and contractors who overbilled the city, among other cases. Last year, McClintock's office recovered about $540,000 in funds from suspected fraud, waste and abuse, according to an annual report.
Perhaps his most high-profile investigation was a report into a controversial overhaul of the muncipal phone system that detailed possible conflicts of interest and wasteful practices in the Mayor's Office of Information Technology.
"I am sincerely thankful for the support that the OIG has received over the past 3 years from the citizens of Baltimore, the mayor, the City Council, and City employees," McClintock said in a written statement. "I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve Baltimore City."
Rawlings-Blake said she will launch a search for his replacement. That effort will be headed by City Solicitor George Nilson.
Luke.Broadwater@baltsun.com
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